Dogs were allowed into the Addison Gallery of American Art for the first time in decades during internationally renowned William Wegman’s exhibition of “Funney / Strange.” Wegman’s exhibit included more than 200 paintings, drawings, videos and photographs that summarize the last 40 years of his career. Director of Education Julie Bernson has been collaborating with Wegman for five years to produce this exhibition and subsequent art workshops. Wegman’s first workshops will be held for Lawrence High and a second one will be held for Phillips Academy art classes. Wegman combined a serious lecture with humor and even brought three of his dogs along to help him present his captivating exhibition. The audience was fascinated by Wegman’s dogs, and the animals added a fresh element to the typical art exhibition. Most people had never imagined that they would witness dogs wrestling and chasing each other around in circles in the Addison gallery. William Thompson-Butler ’09 commented, “It’s cool that the dogs were real and not tranquilized poodles.” Wegman’s dogs kept a generally humorous atmosphere, even when Wegman discussed serious subjects. Wegman discussed issues such as his experiences in the 60’s and 70’s, when artists were forced to turn away from painting to pursue more accepted mainstream forms of art such as video and photography. For as long as he can remember, Wegman dreamed of becoming an artist and began pursuing this dream during child, admitting, “Whenever I needed an A in school, I took art.” After receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Wegman went on to teach at colleges in Wisconsin and California. Later, he began his profession in drawing, film-making and photography. Wegman later returned to painting as an addition to his career in mainstream artwork. Finally, the world of art opened up to him and he realized that he should be pursuing the form of art that he had been passionate about since childhood. After years of experimentation, Wegman finally overcame the restrictions of conventional art and broke into the world of painting. Wegman said, “Looking around the Addison, we can see that my artwork is normal now, but during the 60’s and 70’s, it would’ve looked frightening.” Wegman’s life was irreversibly changed when his first wife insisted on getting a dog. This first beloved dog was named Man Ray, and was later accompanied by another dog, Fay, and her litter of puppies. Wegman quickly developed a passion for dogs and used them as the focus of his artwork. He said, “Where most people take just-for-fun photos of their dogs, I incorporated my dogs into my artwork through serious studio work.” After seeing videos such as one depicting a puppy being tossed up and down in the air, some audience members thought that Wegman was abusing his dogs. However, as Julie Bernson stated, “Anyone who looks into his work at all would know that he has a very beautiful relationship with his dogs and would never do anything to hurt them.” In order to show his devotion, Wegman donates to the humane society with the earnings from his artwork. Also, Wegman said, “Dogs love to interact. The worst thing you could do to a dog is to cage him in your backyard and not play with him.” Thus, Wegman began to train his dogs in acting. They seemed to really enjoy modeling and acting, so Wegman lets them work. In the studio, Wegman is the director and boss, but when they are not working, he says, “They are bossing me around, and being unbelievably doggy dogs, doing what dogs like to do.” As visitors enjoyed Wegman’s paintings, a large group gathered to watch a video in which Wegman tries to train one of his dogs to catch a ball, and then drop it into a small cup. Ten minutes and a hundred tries later, the group cheered as the dog finally succeeded. Wegman connected with his audience, and not only through his artwork. English Instructors Kevin O’Connor and Maressa Grieco discussed the meaning of a particular drawing portraying the book “Finnegan’s Wake.” O’Connor commented, “His artwork has an incredible range.” Additionally, many viewers are familiar with Wegman’s artwork through his videos created for the popular TV shows “Sesame Street” and “Saturday Night Live.” Blaire Pingeton ’09 declared, “He’s like a celebrity to me.” Despite his fame, Wegman continues to pursue his career in art because he has discovered that following his passion is more fulfilling than following the norm. If you are a dog-lover, an art aficionado or simply an avid SNL-watcher, be sure to stop by Wegman’s internationally renowned showcase at Andover’s own Addison Gallery.
